Do cemeteries emit drugs? A case study from southern Germany.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Earth burials are controversial regarding environmental and public health risks.
• Pharmaceuticals and nutrients can potentially leach from cemeteries into surrounding environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize cemetery drainage for pharmaceutical concentrations and hydrochemical properties.
• To compare cemetery drainage data with upstream surface water data.
• To assess the environmental risk associated with cemetery leachate.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 12 cemetery drainage samples and 12 upstream surface water samples.
• Quantification of pharmaceuticals using Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Ionization-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS).
• Measurement of hydrochemical parameters including nitrate, ammonium, phosphate, and dissolved organic carbon.

Main Results:

• Seven drainage samples contained carbamazepine, five contained hydrochlorothiazide, one contained metoprolol, and one contained ibuprofen.
• Surface water samples exhibited a higher diversity and concentration of pharmaceuticals compared to cemetery drainage.
• While some cemetery drainages had elevated nutrient levels, nitrate and ammonium rarely exceeded drinking water limits.

Conclusions:

• The release of pharmaceuticals and nutrients from cemeteries poses a low environmental risk based on this study.
• Surface water drug loads indicate a greater contribution from sources other than cemeteries.
• Further long-term monitoring with broader pharmaceutical analysis and hydrological data is recommended for a comprehensive risk assessment.